My Drive Across Canada – Proud to Be Canadian

Perhaps you’ve wondered why I’ve been so quiet lately, well, it’s pretty tough to write when you are driving across Canada! Today I am veering away from the point of this blog – to share my journey as a young female business professional, to talk about how proud I am to be Canadian!

Canadian Prairies

Recently, I drove across Canada from Ontario to Alberta, all the way to Northern Alberta. The trip is not for the light-hearted – it was about 41 hours (I grew to appreciate cruise control!). I spent three and a half days driving through four provinces before reaching my destination.

The Land

As I drove along winding roads through the Canadian Shield in Northern Ontario, the Prairies of Manitoba, Saskatchewan, and Alberta, I was struck by how beautiful my country of birth is. Many of the roads in Northern Ontario were created by blasting through the Canadian Shield, creating walls of rock on both sides of the road in some places. The road in places is also winding, especially as you drive around Lake Superior (which is breathe-taking). The Prairies of Manitoba, Saskatchewan, and Alberta lay out before me as if for eternity, stretching as far as the eye could see. Travellers before me had created little Inuksuks by the side of the road, so as I drove through all four provinces, I was greeted by these little stone monuments. For the first time, I truly began to understand how large Canada is (Canada is 9,984,670 km² (3,855,103 mi²))

An inuksuk along the side of the highway in Canada

The People

There is a debate across Canada, “where do the friendliest people live – in the West, or the East?” While I prefer to stay out of the debate, I will say that I have family across Canada, and they’re all wonderful. In addition to people I know across the country, in my travels I also met many accommodating people. Forty-one hours of driving didn’t seem so arduous with a beautiful country to drive through, meeting great people along the way, and an iPod full of great music. My road-trip reminded me of the beauty of my country, both through the land and its people!

Through it all, I am reminded that I am proud and thankful to be Canadian!

Take a minute today to think about what you are thankful for in your life. Your family, friends, job, country you live in…life is all about perspective. My trip across Canada helped to remind me of how blessed I am to live in this country!

Comments

It’s a great point. I really respect how Canadians are in love with their country. Not out of a superiority or inferiority complex either. Just a genuine passion for Canada. I wish Americans would take a page out of your book. Great attitude you have personally, too.

Hey, Grif, thank you so much! I completely agree with you. It’s not about us Canadians comparing ourselves to other countries and ranking them against us, it’s about a genuine passion for the land that we call home, and how thankful we (I) are be here. Thank you for your lovely comment 🙂